Palau wants to see oceans, non-communicable diseases, included in Sustainable Development Goals

The President of the Pacific island nation of Palau is calling for greater global action on behalf of the world's oceans.

Speaking in the UN General Assembly on Wednesday evening, President Tommy Remengesau Jr. proposed that the oceans should have their own Sustainable Development Goal in the post-2015 development agenda.

He said this was something that was missing from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) whose deadline is fast approaching.

"The oceans cover two-thirds of the world’s surface and connect 90 percent of its population. A billion people are dependent on its fish. The ocean’s health is unalterably linked to our culture, our societies and our economies. Yet in the MDG’s the ocean received no attention. As these MDG’s wind down in 2015, we need a new paradigm. It is therefore time to enunciate our commitment to our oceans with a sustainable development goal that will deal exclusively with the oceans."

President Remengesau said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should also focus on non-communicable diseases which are accountable for two-thirds of the world's 57 million annual deaths.